Publisher's Summary

London, 1889. For Ira Adler, former rent-boy and present plaything of crime lord Cain Goddard, stealing back the statue from Goddard's blackmailer should have been a doddle. But inside the statue is evidence that could put Goddard away for a long time under the sodomy laws, and everyone's after it, including Ira's bitter ex, Dr. Timothy Lazarus. No sooner does Ira have the porcelain dog in his hot little hands, than he loses it to a nimble-fingered prostitute.

As Ira’s search for the dog drags him back to the mean East End streets where he grew up, he discovers secrets about his own past, and about Goddard's present business dealings, which make him question everything he thought he knew. An old friend turns up dead, and an old enemy proves himself a friend. Goddard is pressing Ira for a commitment, but every new discovery casts doubt on whether Ira can, in good conscience, remain with him.In the end, Ira must choose between his hard-won life of luxury and standing against a grievous wrong.

I'm a lover of audiobooks. Even if I were able to physically read on the bus - I can't, it makes me feel ill - there's still something so incredibly wonderful about the spoken word, and the experience of listening to a great story being told. Usually, I do this to make the time pass by on the long trek to and from work, or when I'm doing something tedious like the laundry or dishes. For "The Affair of the Porcelain Dog" I was instead scurrying around, trying to find any excuse to be able to keep listening, and even wearing my ear-buds while I did routine stuff all the way to the moment I had to open the doors for the day.

I listened on my break. I listened on my lunch. I listened in the bath. I even got up early on the day of my closing shift so I'd have the two full hours of time I needed to finish the book before my work shift started.

In short? Jess Faraday's "The Affair of the Porcelain Dog" was the best audiobook experience I've had in years. There are a few sides to that experience.

One, the writing was so completely engaging that I was happily drawn into the narrative from step one. The setting - a Holmes-era tale in London at it's most coal-caked and financially stratified, "The Affair of the Porcelain Dog" is also Holmes-esque in its execution, pulling you into a mystery from the opening that is as steeped in the time and place and culture as it is in the richly drawn characters. The main voice, Ira Adler, is such a charming character even when he's being selfish or spoiled that I was smitten instantly. An orphan and former rent-boy, Ira is living in luxury now at the beck and call - and bed - of Cain Goddard, who despite his genteel appearance is in fact a crime lord making most of his living off the legal opium trade. Ira, no slouch in the street arts of lock picking, pick pocketing, and capable of thieving with the best of them, is tasked by Goddard to recover the titular piece of artwork, which is both ugly and apparently contains a secret that could ruin Goddard, and bring Ira's comfortable new life to an end. Of course, in a mystery as tightly drawn as this one, there are far more players than that - including the wonderfully written Timothy Lazarus, a giving clinic doctor who is after the same object d'art for his own friend - and Goddard's rival. That Lazarus and Adler have a romantic entanglement in the past just adds to the joy in their interactions.

Two, the performance. Oh how Philip Battley narrated the heck out of this book! He took Jess Faraday's amazing story and put such an incredible performance behind his reading. Every accent and every tone just burst with verisimilitude. It kills me that the search on his name over on audible only showed one other audiobook. I sincerely hope there's more from him.

Third - and last - there weren't compromises in the historical setting including gay characters. I rarely read historical gay fiction because so often the gay stuff sort of slides unnoticed among the rest of the tale. Somehow everyone the characters meet are happy and open-minded folks who understand these guys aren't evil (despite religion, law, and everything about the current culture saying they are). That these men are gay is a huge factor to the story, but not in a way that doesn't ring true.

Okay. I'm moving past reviewing and into gushing. Just trust me on this one. Read it or listen to it - I'm totally going to suggest you listen to it if you're at all an audiobook lover - and rejoice in the fact that there's a sequel, Turnbull House, on its way.

20 of 20 people found this review helpful

Susie

Santa Cruz, CA, United States

4/12/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Sherlock Holmes Meets Oscar Wilde"

Faraday has written a brilliant Victorian mystery. The opening scene is a blackmail letter being cast down like a gauntlet: "I know what you are."

Ira Adler (echoes of Sherlock Holmes' Irene Adler) has found a comfy life as a kept man, that is, a "private secretary."

But when Ira and his lover are threatened with homosexual exposure, he must leave his life of comfort and head back to the seedy side of London. Asked to retrieve the "porcelain dog" of the title, he finds he is not the only one looking for it, at his peril. The careful plot is arranged like set of nesting boxes.

Victorian London comes alive through the eyes of a 19th century outlier.

17 of 17 people found this review helpful

John Body

18/02/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Really Great"

I read a lot of gay mystery type books and I must say this one is one of the best! The story is believable and has action, suspense, and mystery. Jess develops the characters, giving them a history, an emotional life, and believable personalities. The narrator is excellent. I can't wait for the next book by Jess!

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Dennis

San Jose, CA

13/05/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"More like Literature than a Pulp Ficion"

"The Affair of the Porcelain Dog" is a masterful literary experience. Jess Faraday writes prose with the sensibilities of Charles Dickens and the editorial polish of the published writings of Raymond Carver at his peak. Set in 1890s London, Mr. Faraday weaves an exciting and intricate mystery with fascinating characters moving through vivid urban landscapes. I don't think I'll encounter a better book this year!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Johanna

CHICAGO, IL, United States

10/06/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"It's drivel, but at least it's fun drivel!"

Don't expect a literary masterpiece with this book. There are holes in the plot. There are historical inaccuracies I'm sure. It's unrealistic. Sherlock Holmes? Um, not quite.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed it in a shallow, guilty sort of way. The characters are likeable and engaging. The narrator gets a solid B+. I listened to it in about 3 days.

Don't over think this book, and just enjoy it for what it is.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Paul McMahon

Fremantle, Australia

13/05/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"unconvincing"

I found this book too demanding of my suspension of disbelief. To sum it up, and this happens within the first hour of the book, so I don't think it is a spoiler ... and you could see it coming from a mile off ... a (early 20s) boy who grew up on the streets has his pocket picked then doesn't notice the loss of considerable weight as he runs back home, several miles. Just silly; and an alternative to the plot twist was so obviously available.

That sums it up ... too obvious, too contrived - thrust on top of a "topical" story of the rent boy and the crime lord (again, not spoilers as they are stated from the get go).

It may read better than it narrates. The fist person perspective is always a difficult one to pull off and for my money, Jess Faraday or Philip Battley doesn't achieve it; maybe it's the combination. Though Battley has a good voice for narration.

The characters weren't unlikeable, but neither did they imbue me with a need to stick around for their story. I dropped in to the tale a few hours in just to see if it got itself organized, but the problems were the same.

Maybe the author relies on the setting, which is well drawn, to carry the story aloft, but it never got the momentum for me.

5 of 8 people found this review helpful

Chris R

Delaware

6/08/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Good but could have been really good"

What made the experience of listening to The Affair of the Porcelain Dog the most enjoyable?

The narration was very well done. The story was well written and colorful. Decent character development. Held my interest.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Affair of the Porcelain Dog?

Actually it was the theme running thru the plot. A morality story. A struggle by the protagonist w/his conflicted feelings.

Which character – as performed by Philip Battley – was your favorite?

Ira Adler, the protagonist, followed closely by Dr Lazarus.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

THE DUKE OF DORSET STREET

Any additional comments?

In a sense this is a coming of age story. A morality tale of how to draw the line btw comfort and doing the right thing. My major comment is also my major criticism i.e. it could have been a terrific book. There is some really good writing, but the story is flawed in many places w/a deus ex machina. Also at times, it felt like the writer changed his thoughts with the story line, occasionally making this reader feel the story becoming thin and w/holes that needed to be filled. I didn't like this, but to keep up w/the story I did my best to overlook these gaps deeply wishing they weren't there. Mr Battley's narration is very well done and he moves btw characters nicely. I look forward to another of his performances. I look forward as well to another of Mr. Faraday's works; however, I truly hope he has better editing. At times I felt he wrote something one day and then kind'a forgot what he was writing about when he picked up his pen the next time he wrote. There is much fun, action and good writing, but I feel w/more experience in writing and taking his time, he will have a better crafted story next time. I sincerely hope so. I sense excellent potential here.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

terry

23/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Absolutely wonderful"

A once immoral tale with a present moral lesson. Adler, Goddard, Lazarus all unique and surprisingly lovable.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Tracy Hoffmann

Downingtown, PA USA

13/07/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Good fun!"

Would you consider the audio edition of The Affair of the Porcelain Dog to be better than the print version?

Who knows? I don't have the print version. I hate these pre-populated review questions!

What did you like best about this story?

This story was fun, a good mystery to follow along. Not great literary art, but it doesn't try to be. The plot is fast-paced, the characters and setting well drawn, even if the story demands a little suspension of belief here and there.

Which character – as performed by Philip Battley – was your favorite?

Ira Adler was a great protagonist and I hope to read more about him in another story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Listen to this book for fun and try to figure out the various twists and turns as they present themselves.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

E. C. Abrahams

Jonesport, ME USA

4/07/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Five Stars for Performance"

My app won't let me put in 5 stars for the reader. Enjoyable to listen to. Not at all a drag.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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JJ

29/09/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"A delicious delight!"

There is more than a whiff of fan fic gone exceptionally right here. But the characters and scenario are so much fun and the narration is so good, that the nods to to Sherlock are just fun atmosphere. Original, well-wrought, light-hearted with a great narrator. I'm certain this will become one of very few books that make my repeat listening list. Mr. Battley, will you please please please record the other books in the series?!!!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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